SCHLEY COUNTY, GA - BIOS - Smith Family
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This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb
Archives by: Mbmjlm22@aol.com Mary Beth Marchant
Table of Contents page:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/schley
Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm
The Smith Family
(original reseach by Benjamin Hogue)
A biographical history of the Smith family, residents of
Ellaville, Georgia during the period from about 1840 to
1870. The family is enumerated in Sumter County census of
1850 and Schley County census of 1860
Benjamin Tarpley Smith and Elizabeth Jones Smith along with
four sons and three daughters were residents of Ellaville,
now in Schley County, Georgia from approximately 1840 to
about 1870. Benjamin’s parents were Jackson Smith and Lucy
Woodall Smith. Jackson Smith was born in Fauquier County,
Virginia in 1758 and migrated to Georgia in early manhood.
His forefathers came from Northumberland, England in the
middle of the sixteen century and settled in Fauquier
County, Virginia. Lucy Woodall was born in Elberton, Elbert
County, Georgia and was “sprinkled” into the Methodist
Church by the Rev. John Wesley at or near Savannah, Georgia.
Jackson Smith served in the Continental Army with
“Lighthorse Harry Lee” father of Robert E. Lee.
Elizabeth Jones Smith’s parents were Charles H. Jones and
Polly Downs. Charles H. Jones was born in Fredericktown,
Maryland in 1753 and died in Georgia in 1864 at the age of
111. Charles Jones ancestors came from Wales to this
country and settled in Maryland in the middle of the
sixteenth century. He migrated to Georgia, settled in
Elbert County and bought his first land in Georgia from a
Cherokee Indian Chieftain seven years before the state
claimed or annexed the land. Thomas Payne, the author of
“Home Sweet Home” was entertained as a guest in his home. He
served in the Revolutionary Army with George Washington at
Princeton and Valley Forge.
Benjamin Smith was born in Georgia January 2, 1814.
Elizabeth Jones Smith was born July 17, 1811 in Flat Creek,
Elbert County, Georgia. They were married November 8, 1838.
Benjamin T. Smith was a farmer, saw mill and grist mill
operator , contractor and builder. His occupation as noted
on the 1860 Census for Schley County was Master Carpenter.
Benjamin Smith was too old for combat service during the
Civil War, but volunteered and served as a Prison Guard at
Andersonville Prison for 17 months during the latter part of
the war. He furnished three sons for the Confederate Army.
Lovet B. Smith, born in Ellaville in 1844 died in Richmond,
Virginia as a result of Typhoid Pneumonia and is buried in
Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. He was a member of
Schley County Company B.-17th Regiment.
Francis Lamar Smith served in the latter months of the war
with Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia and was honorably
discharged at war’s end with Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.
James Jackson Manning Smith served throughout the entire
four years of the war with Lee’s Army in Virginia. He
enlisted in Terrell County, Georgia and served with Company
K, 31st Regiment-Georgia Volunteer Infantry-Evan's Brigade-
Gordon's Divison-Army of Northern Virginia--C.S.A.--Terrell
County, Georgia"BARTOW AVENGERS"-- Rank--Private, Sept, 5,
1861. Appointed musician; color bearer, captured at
Frederick, Md. Sept. 12, 1861. Transferred from Fort
Delaware, Delaware to Aiken's Landing, Va. for exchange.
October 2, 1862. Declared exchanged November 10, 1862.
Roll for August 31, 1864, shows him present. He was at
Appomattox during the surrender and walked home to Georgia
after surrender. James J.M. Smith along with some of his
brothers and sisters left Georgia in the last days of
December, 1875 and moved to Texas. He became an architect in
Texas, building churches in Texas and Mexico. One such
building was one of the early church buildings for the First
Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. Another was a building for
the First Baptist Church of Mena, Arkansas. He and his wife
are buried at the Old Burnet Cemetery, Burnet, Burnet
County, Texas.
Benjamin and Elizabeth Jones Smith died in Randolph County,
Georgia in the late 1890’s at the old George Hart home,
eight miles north of Shellman, Georgia. Both are buried in
the Old Sardis Church Cemetery in Terrell County, Georgia.
Known children of Jackson Smith and Lucy Woodall.
Benjamin Tarpley Smith, m. Elizabeth Jones
John J. Smith Emily Belle (no last name known)
Littleton Spivey Smith m. Nancy Powell Hogue
Wells Smith m. Christiana Biggs.
Ten children were born but only four are known.
Children of Benjamin and Elizabeth Jones Smith
James Jackson Manning Smith, born at Oxford, Newton County 11-4-1839 m. Catherine O. Brown in Terrell County May 21, 1861 (migrated to Texas in 1875)
Lovet B. Smith, born at Ellaville, about 1844 m. Sarah J. Jones of Ellaville, August 11, 1861
Francis Lamar Smith b. about 1848 at Ellaville m. Lenora Phillips also of Ellaville
(migrated to Texas in 1875)
Clarinda Smith b. 1846 at Ellaville m. George Hart of Randolph County
Mary Elizabeth Smith, b. 7-25-1850 at Ellaville m. William A. Hogue of Terrell County
Died in Berrien County, buried at Oakridge Cemetery, Tifton, Tift County, Georgia
Laura Smith, b. 1853 in Ellaville, m. George W. Truitt in Schley County May 8, 1870
(migrated to Texas)
Charlie E. Smith, b. 1857 in Ellaville, m. Bernice Alexander in Texas.
(migrated to Texas)
Sara Smith, b. abt 1842, died before 1860 and is buried at Ellaville, Schley County, Georgia
Much of the history above comes from Benjamin Clifford
Hogue, son of Mary Elizabeth Smith and William A. Hogue.
Benjamin C. Hogue retired as a Captain in the Army after WW
1. In September, 1935 he was requested to fill out a
Biographical Questionaire for the Georgia Archives by Miss
Ruth Blair, State Historian. The date of the Questionaire
is October 29, 1935. The rest of the Smith family history
was written about 1940. Captain Hogue died July 19, 1961 and
is buried at Marietta National Cemetery, Cobb County,
Georgia. His mother was a daughter of Benjamin Tarpley
Smith and a granddaughter of Jackson Smith and of Charles H.
Jones.
TEXAS notes:
Not as much thanks to me as to Benjamin Hogue. He did most
of the work, I just found documentation on the Census
Images. For instance, for Francis Lamar Smith, he had
listed Frank L. Smith. I found him in Sumter County as
Lamar age 2-then again in Schley county, as Francis L. at
age 12. Yes, they were an interesting family. There is much
more to it than that, but it is not Georgia history so I
didn't include it, besides it would be much too long. My
grandmother, James J.M.Smith's daughter Clara, married a man
by the name of Eric Warren Insall. His mother, Sarah Boyd
Woods, was a member of the Woods and Cottle clan who came to
Texas from Missouri with Stephen F. Austin. They originated
in Massachusetts where both the Woods and Cottles were
descendants of three Mayflower passengers. One of the
Cottles died at the Alamo and my GG grandfather Norman Woods
is represented at the Alamo by spoons and a pipe that he
carved while a prisoner in Perote Prison in Mexico. He was
captured as a result of the Salado Creek Massacre in 1842 in
Texas and died in the prison. Also at the Alamo is the
Mexican Lance taken by Norman's brother when he escaped the
battle. He later married his brother Normans widow after he
died. Knowing this family history is one thing that makes
me intensely interested in all the family history. I do
appreciate the comments.